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Crockpot Greek Yogurt, Redux

Several months ago I wrote about making my own Greek yogurt in the crockpot. Since then, I’ve made a batch weekly, and have adapted things a bit to work better for me.

I’m reposting with my streamlined method both as a reference for myself (so I can get rid of my ratty notes) and because Mike’s coworkers have demanded to know where he’s getting the yogurt he eats every morning, and he wants to send them here (hi guys!).

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To start, I use a gallon of 1% or 2% milk in a 6-quart crockpot. One gallon of milk gives me about 7 cups of yogurt.

I used to start the yogurt in the early to mid-afternoon so it could sit on the counter overnight. I’ve discovered that starting as soon as I get up in the morning (well, after coffee) around 6:30 to 7am works really well, and the whole process gets done in one day and the yogurt is strained and cold in the fridge by the next morning.

If you usually use the Reynolds liners like I do, you’re going to want to wash out your crock first to get rid of the brown residue that the liners leave behind. I don’t use liners for this because there’s whisking and moving around, and the crock isn’t a pain to clean after this anyway (save the liners for the meatloaf and roasts!).

Pour the milk into the crockpot and set the crockpot to high. Use a digital thermometer to get to 180 degrees. This will take several hours — for me it’s around 4.

Once it hits 180°, turn off the crockpot and take the lid off to let the temperature come down to between 105°-110°. I go over and stir it every so often with the thermometer probe, and remove any skin that forms on top.

Once the temperature is down, you need to add your starter. I use a cup of yogurt that I’ve kept in the fridge since my last batch, but you can use a cup of store-bought plain yogurt. Whisk it in.

Then I warm one cup of honey in the microwave for one minute and whisk that in too (skip the honey if you don’t want it).

Remove the crock from the base and wrap it in towels.

I leave mine on my counter at room temperature for the next eight hours.

Note: My room temperature is 82°, so if you keep yours fairly cool you may want to stash it in the oven (don’t turn the oven on!) to help it maintain some heat.

Once the eight hours has passed, unwrap the crock and remove the lid. You’ve got yogurt! At this point I whisk it up once more to kind of break it up and smooth it out, and remove a cup to use for my next batch.

Now line two strainers with four layers each of damp cheesecloth and place over larger bowls to catch the whey. Ladle the yogurt into the strainers, cover with foil or plastic wrap, and stick in the fridge.

I’ve read that you can use a clean t-shirt instead of cheesecloth, and I think next time I go to the store I’m going to buy a pack of new undershirts (nice and thin) and give it a shot. I like the idea of being able to wash and reuse them (I know you can wash cheesecloth, but it’s a pain in the rear).

It’s kind of shocking how much volume it loses after straining.

I’m also always surprised by how much whey there is. You can use whey for a lot of things and honey-flavored like this would probably be good in pancakes and bread but maybe not so much in ricotta.

Scrape out as much as you can from the cheesecloth and into the storage container of your choice.

One more quick run-through with a whisk and you’ve got creamy, delicious homemade Greek yogurt!

I have never had better yogurt in my life! I have been thinking about making yogurt for a long time, but after seeing this recipe, I thought I would take a stab at it and I am so glad I did. After letting the milk cool down to 110 degrees, I added the cup of starter along with a cup of superfine sugar and some vanilla. (I do not mind eating refined sugar and do not like honey so thought I would give this a try) Mixed it well and wrapped it up overnight in the oven. Then I strained it in the cheesecloth for a few hours. My first batch only lasted two days! My 20 year old son eats his with a dollop of my homemade strawberry jam and says he will never eat store-bought yogurt again. Thanks or the great recipe.

Heather, I have used this method several times yet with some problems. When I use store bought yogurt for a starter, it sets up just fine. When I use starter from a previous batch like last night, it is still runny like milk and has not set after more than 12 hours. Suggestions? Do I have to throw it out and start completely over or is there some other way.

Ok. I finally made a batch.The first batch, using 2% milk and store bought vanilla yogurt as a starter, turned out ok. It wasn’t very thick but tasted good. I also had to strain it twice. The first time, everything went through the cheesecloth, so I tried a very thin dish cloth. Worked perfectly. Second batch, used whole milk and starter from my previous yogurt. Turned out nice and thick! So, don’t know if any of this helps anyone, but these were my experiences. 🙂

How long do you let it strain for to get that kind of consistency? I tried a batch and after 12 hours of straining it isn’t even close to this consistency. I’m going to take a stab at it again with a new yogurt starter.